A beautiful smile can do wonders for a person both inside and out, and the opposite can be said if someone constantly feels self-conscious about their teeth due to noticeable stains, chips, cracks, or gaps. At Cochell Family Dentistry in Salem, we help patients achieve their dream smiles every day using our selection of options for cosmetic dentistry in Salem, OR. Teeth can easily be whitened, reshaped, or completely transformed to create a beautiful and natural look. What would you like to change about your smile? We can make it happen, all you need to do is contact us today.
This treatment has long been a go-to for celebrities and models alike, and the reason for that is simple: it’s capable of eliminating an entire range of imperfections with just one procedure, including:
A veneer is an extremely thin ceramic shell that is bonded to the front of a tooth to fix imperfections, and they are always custom-made. So, you can get just one or an entire set to makeover your smile. The choice is up to you, and we know you’ll love the results.
Lean More About Porcelain Veneers
When we’re tasked with repairing a tooth that will show prominently in a patient’s smile, we review the different dental materials available and recommend one that will restore both function and esthetics. This enables the patient to make an informed decision as some materials provide more esthetics or more function depending on the tooth/area. Simple esthetic restorations include composites which are tooth-colored resin fillings. More complex esthetic restorations include porcelain, zirconia or a combination of porcelain and lithium disilicate. These are used to restore inlays, onlays, crowns, bridges, and implants. These materials are strong, durable, and known for their ability to replicate enamel, even down to how it reflects light. With these esthetic materials, Dr. Cochell can create restorations so lifelike that even our patients have trouble telling them apart from natural teeth!
Minor chips, gaps, and stains can all be addressed with very little time using direct bonding. This involves using tooth-colored resin filling material - known as composites, along with the bonding agent – adhesive, to form a chemical bond with enamel. Our comsetic dentist can apply tooth-colored resin to damaged or missing enamel, sculpt it to match the lost tooth structure and bond it in place to form a strong, esthetically pleasing restoration. After adding a nice polish, it can be difficult to tell where the problem existed. This treatment is usually fast, painless, and the results can be expected to last several years with good home care.
Wouldn’t it be nice if you could sit back and relax at home as your teeth changed shades to become whiter? With our Opalescence take-home kits and Sheer Whitening Strips, that’s exactly what you can do! These treatments are excellent at removing extrinsic stains due to coffee, wine or tobacco. These kits use the same active ingredients as products you can buy at the store but at higher concentrations. To remove stubborn extrinsic and even intrinsic (deep within enamel) stains try our custom whitening trays or our most effective, “in-office” whitening treatment. These whitening agents use either carbamide peroxide or hydrogen peroxide at specific concentrations to penetrate through the enamel surface. Oxygen molecules from the whitening agent then react with the stained molecules to break them down. Once this process spreads across the entire tooth surface, the enamel changes shades giving you a dramatically brighter smile in a relatively short period of time.
Learn More About Teeth Whitening
Using intra-oral and extra-oral cameras, we give you a detailed, expanded, look into your mouth to see where changes may be made to improve both esthetics and chewing function. Imaging also gives the patient a chance to ask questions about things they may not have noticed at home. We also use digital imaging in the form of X-rays. Gone are the days of traditional exposure film which was tedious, uncomfortable and time consuming to take and process. The new era of X-rays provides for quick exposures, with a full mouth only taking minutes to complete, and the images instantly appear on the computer monitor next to you. This technological advancement also comes with the added benefit of about 70% less radiation than traditional film x-rays.
While cosmetic dental treatments can come with a wide range of advantages for your smile, they aren’t usually included in dental insurance plans. Even so, our team will do everything we can to work with you so that you can improve your pearly whites without having to worry about your budget. During your consultation, we’ll also review your cosmetic dentistry services so that you know what to expect from the possible results and costs of treatment.
Whether you’re trying to fix one or several dental imperfections (like chips or minor gaps) or you simply want to brighten your teeth, cosmetic dentistry can offer incredible and natural-looking results that you can enjoy. Our team offers various treatments, each with its unique purposes and price range. Here are some of the cosmetic services we provide:
Since cosmetic dentistry typically isn’t covered by dental insurance, it can seem like these kinds of treatments might be too far out of your budget. However, you’ll want to remember the priceless benefits you can enjoy from your results. Not only can you end up achieving your dream look, but your boosted confidence can also help give you greater success in both your social and professional settings. You’ll be more comfortable showing off your smile, which others might perceive as outgoing and attractive. Your results may even make it easier for you to maintain your oral health in the long run, which can help you save more in the long term.
Even though cosmetic dentistry isn’t typically included in coverage plans, it doesn’t mean you won’t be able to save money while enhancing your smile. To help ensure that you don’t have to dig too far into your pocket for your treatments, our team is partnered with CareCredit which can help turn the cost of your dental procedures into monthly installments, most of which come with little to no interest!
At Cochell Family Dentistry, we believe in providing transformative solutions for patients looking to change the aesthetics of their smile. As a cosmetic dentist in Salem, Dr. Cochell understands that receiving any type of dental treatment results in many questions and concerns in the beginning. Fortunately, she is here to provide the answers you need to feel confident in your decision to pursue cosmetic dentistry. This is why we’ve compiled some of the most common questions asked by patients for you to review. Should you not see your question listed below, or if you would like to sit down with Dr. Christel Cochell, please don’t hesitate to contact our dental office and schedule an appointment.
In addition to being visually distracting, gaps can allow bits of food to accumulate and cause problems like cavities. But you don’t have to undergo lengthy orthodontic treatment in order to get rid of small spaces between your teeth. Depending on your needs and budget, we can provide either porcelain veneers or dental bonding to reshape your teeth and fill in the gap. During your consultation, we can discuss your goals and the pros and cons of each treatment to guide you to the perfect solution.
The only way to know which cosmetic dental services are right for you is to first schedule a consultation with Dr. Christel Cochell. It is during this visit that she will evaluate your current oral health as well as discuss what you like and don’t like about your smile. Once she better understands your smile goals, she can formulate a personalized treatment plan that includes one or more services to help you see a more drastically improved smile.
Most cosmetic procedures do require touch-ups along the way. Because the longevity of porcelain veneers, teeth whitening, dental bonding, and metal-free dental restorations can vary from patient to patient, it is important that you do what is necessary to keep your results looking their best for as long as possible. A few tips that can help you accomplish this include:
Cosmetic dentistry is typically not covered by dental insurance. Why? Because these services are not considered a “medical necessity,” which means the insurance company has no obligation to cover them. As a result, you, the patient, are expected to pay the full amount out of pocket. Fortunately, there are ways you can do this without emptying your wallet. If you cannot afford to pay the entire cost the day the services are rendered, you can opt to enroll in third-party financing through CareCredit. This program allows you to opt for a low- or no-interest payment plan to help you stay within your budget.
We understand you may wish to “start fresh” with new teeth that look brighter and feel better, but the truth is that your natural teeth are a much better option. Our team will always do whatever we can to save your natural teeth from extraction, and we’ll recommend helpful treatments to improve the aesthetics of your smile. However, if you are already missing a few teeth or tooth loss is unavoidable, there are solutions that can repair and rebuild your smile. Whether it is dentures or dental implants, we do have the right option for your needs. Just remember, our array of cosmetic services are designed to hide and eliminate the imperfections existing on your teeth while allowing you to maintain greater oral health for a lifetime.
